Lawmakers were expected to vote on a bill that would reverse constitutional changes limiting some of the powers of the president. Those changes were adopted by President Kurmanbek Bakiev under popular pressure after a wave of street protests.

The leader of the Kyrgyz nongovernmental organization Interbilim, Asiya Sasykbaeva in an interview with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service criticized the move. "They shouldn't make changes [to the Kyrgyz Constitution]," she said. "That would restore the authoritarian regime. If it does happen, why did we even adopt a new constitution, why did we carry out the March 24 [2005] revolution?"

Earlier this week, Kyrgyzstan's government resigned in a bid to help accelerate reforms and implement the newly adopted constitution in full.

(with material from Reuters)

Understanding Kyrgyzstan

Workers preparing for celebrations of the constitutional compromise in Bishkek on November 9 (RFE/RL)